


4 am

by snoopykid



Category: RWBY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:54:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29470509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snoopykid/pseuds/snoopykid
Summary: Challenging silence penetrates the kitchen as the young heir looks at the scythe wielder, “Alright. You are on. Besides, this is one skill I can beat Weiss in.” He states in a pompous manner as he approaches Ruby and takes the egg from her. Just because everyone needs a hug at this point...and cookies.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	4 am

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know where this idea came up, but it did so here it is.
> 
> I don’t own RWBY or…anything really. I just want them all to have a freaking hug! Is that so much to ask?!

** 4 am **

**_-12am-_ **

It was sickening. Horribly sickening. Even though her eyes are closed in an attempt to sleep, she still sees the:

_Hound's arms pull it slowly back up through the hole in the window, followed by its' body with the head blown off…and, where it's neck should be, is the face of a scarred Faunus, with silver eyes._

Her body turns back over. The image of the silver eyes of the Hound glaring at them viciously and with a predatory like bloodlust. That’s not all though, the voice, distorted with need and urgency repeating like a haunting echo:

“ ** _Take...the...girl!_** ” _The body is regenerating. It staggers down the steps toward them. She, Weiss, and Blake are too stunned and horrified to fight back._

Ruby turns over once more, beads of sweat rolling from her forehead as her mind flashes to the last horrifying scene of the evening:

_A giant suit of armor and sword comes crashing down on the creature, killing it at last. Ruby watches as the flesh starts to crumble into dust with the only thing remaining behind was the blackened skeletons of the Faunus host._

Ruby bolts awake, silently gasping for air as her mind echoes her own horrified words back at her, “ ** _It was...a person_** _._ ”

Feeling suffocated, she leaves Weiss’s room as quickly and quietly as she could. Penny was still out of commission as was Nora, who was barely lucid for the very brief explanation. Blake and Weiss had both fallen into an uneasy sleep. Ruby takes a second to look back, hoping that she had not awaken her teammates. Seeing they were still asleep, albeit a bit unsettled, she leaves the room and starts down the hallway.

Twisting her hands, she starts to jog at a light pace. She knows what she wants, but unfortunately that was one thing Weiss had not showed her…the way to the kitchen, “Damn it. Where could it be?” She starts to frantically look at the walls, hoping for some sign that would point her to her desired destination, and that resulted in not paying total attention to what…or who was in front of her, “Ow!”

“Would you watch where you are going?!”

“Whitley? I’m-I’m sorry…” Ruby says. They were both on the floor and instantly another flashback for the reaper. A time much simpler and innocent, which brings a smirk to her lips as she gets up off the floor.

Whitley notices as he too gets up and dusts himself off, “Just what is so funny?”

“Nothing. Just reminiscing and being slightly thankful you are not yelling at me and waving volatile dust in my face.”

He blinks once and then a second time, trying to comprehend the words that were just said to him, “Wait…what? Who would do something so dangerous and stupid?”

“Nothing. Nothing. Forget I said anything.” She answers waving her hands in his face.

He takes a step back, “Ok then…well you seem to be lost. If you are looking for Weiss’s room turn around and go down the hallway, make a right and-”

“Oh, no. No thank you. I’d rather…not go back there right now.” Ruby says quickly cutting him off and now avoids looking at him.

Crossing his arms, he watches her closely. For whatever reason, the uneasiness and pained expression on her face did not sit right with him, “Did you and my sister get into a fight?” He asks slowly, trying to feign aloofness.

Ruby shakes her head, “No I just cannot sleep and was looking for the kitchen.”

“If you want something from the kitchen, I can get Klein to-”

“No. That is no thank you.” She corrects herself and looks at him once more, hands now behind her back, twisting and fidgeting as the need to run kicks in, “I…uhm…I’ll whip something up for myself. I just need to be pointed in the right direction is all…” she trails off, praying Whitley would just direct her where to go.

There is a moment of silence that passes between them. Whitley watches her closely, one eyebrow raised as if he was analyzing her. Again a strange feeling overcomes him as he watches her nervous twitches. Was this really the same young woman that used…some sort of power that sent that Grimm out their window? Closing his eyes, he shook his head to try and clear his thoughts, “If you insist. Follow me, and I’ll show you.” He turns around and leads her down the hallway towards a set of stairs following them down.

“Thank you.” Ruby says gratefully.

“It’s no big deal. Again though, I could ask Klein or the other servants to bring you whatever you want.” They go down another hallway and make a left.

Ruby easily kept pace, trying to remember where they were, “No it’s fine. I need to feel like I am in control of something…even if it isn’t my life right now.” They go through a set of double doors and sure enough just another right leads to another door which behind it, was the massive kitchen, “Dang this is amazing.” Ruby whistles as she admires the pristine stainless steel massive appliances.

Whitley shrugs nonchalantly, “It’s just a kitchen. I don’t see what’s so special about it.” He then pauses as he watches her admire the stove and refrigerator with wide eyes. Crossing his arms again, he thinks back on her words, “What kind of control are you talking about?”

Ruby takes a break from admiring the shiny appliances and turns to look at him, silver eyes dulling ever so slightly he nearly kicks himself for making them lose their shine in the first place, “Just something, anything at this point; and right now the only thing I can think of is baking.”

“Baking?”

“Yea…I used to do it at Beacon. Mainly for fun of course, one time was out of desperation because I was stressed; but at least we all shared in the spoils…even Weiss.” Ruby smiled sadly as she turned away and looked through the cabinets, pulling down the ingredients she would need.

“You are joking. My dear sister has no such thing as a sweet tooth.” Whitley said coming closer to discretely observe her.

Ruby again smiled and looked at him, “Perhaps not as big as mine, but she does have a small…appreciation for some, and this is in her own words, ‘sugary confections’.” Then laughing, she adds, “This one time she tried to make me chocolate chip cookies.”

Whitley stops and stares at the red reaper, “Oh dear gods, she did not.”

“Yup.”

“Weiss cannot cook. Klein had a ban on having her in the kitchen.”

“So I found out. Those things were hard as steel. In fact we were pelting it at a criminal and he had bruises.”

“Ouch.” Then as if a switch were flipped, Whitley regained composure and decided to take a seat and watch her, “So how does baking help exactly?”

Ruby pauses in her preparations and sighs, “Structure. Cooking can be experimental mostly. Baking has to be precise. There is only so much deviation you can do before the dish becomes ruined.”

Nodding along, he responds, “So, to you, having that form of structure allows you to have that control?”

“Essentially. Look I’m sorry I am not making much sense, but it’s like twelve in the morning.”

“Stop apologizing. It’s fine. So I take it based on the ingredients you are making chocolate chip cookies?”

Ruby brightens up slightly, which oddly makes him feel a bit better, “Yup! I present to you the soon to be famous Ruby Rose Cookies!”

Whitley nodded slowly as he eyed the ingredients, the culinary equipment, and the chef/baker, “Right.” He says slowly.

“You know for someone who doesn’t really get along with his sister, you and Weiss do have similar mannerisms.” Ruby comments as she deflates and starts to wash her hands after making sure her short hair was pulled back as far as it would allow.

He snorts and crosses his arms, “We did have similar upbringing if you couldn’t tell.”

“No I get that, but it is ok to branch out a bit. You don’t have to do what everyone expects you to do.” _You don’t have to be your father_ , goes unsaid but he gets the subtle meaning behind the words that are spoken, “Have you ever tried to take control?”

A flicker of surprise crosses his face before masking it with indifference, “I am in perfect control thank you kindly. If you’ll excuse me, it is late and I believe you know how to get back to Weiss’s room. Good night Ms. Rose.”

She watches as he gets up from the stool and slowly makes his way out of the kitchen, “Prove it!” She challenges.

“Excuse me?” He stops and slowly turns to look at her, one hand held behind his back, “What do I have to prove to you?”

“If you have such ‘pristine’…oh Weiss would have like that.” He cocks an eyebrow at that out loud little slip as Ruby coughs to get her tone back under control, “Anyway if you have such a mastery at what it means to ‘be in control’, prove it. Help me bake.” She holds an egg out towards him.

Challenging silence penetrates the kitchen as the young heir looks at the scythe wielder, “Alright. You are on. Besides, this is one skill I can beat Weiss in.” He states in a pompous manner as he approaches Ruby and takes the egg from her.

**_-2am-_ **

“What is the meaning of this?” The two ‘bakers’ look up from the smoking, deformed, and quite possibly un-edible disaster on the baking sheet to see the Schnee matriarch, standing in the middle of the kitchen, arms crossed and with a look of displeasure on her face.

 _Wow_ , _now I potentially know where Weiss inherited the scowl from_ , Ruby thinks noticing the similarities between Weiss and her mother in an instant, “We…are…baking?” Ruby questions seeing that the carefully composed heir was mute and stunned.

In all fairness, the mess started when Whitley kept getting shells into the wet ingredients. Then came time to pour the flour into the batter…which covered them so much they could look like ghosts, and finally the stove was set too high as well as the wrong time was inputted. Ruby didn’t really notice at first until smoke started coming out the oven and that was when a mini fire broke out, but thankfully that was under control. Needless to say, Whitley did not have the ‘pristine control’ he claimed; but it was clear he had the competiveness of Weiss and wasn’t about to give up…hence round two after they cleaned up…mostly.

“Baking? Looks like it snowed in here!” She then looks at her son, “And you don’t bake! You don’t even know how to cook cereal!

“You can’t make cereal?” Ruby asks, “It’s just milk and well…the cereal. In a bowl.”

“Do you not notice the place you are staying in?” Whitley defends himself in a superior tone. He then looks at his mother, “And what do you know mother? You are always off somewhere downing a bottle of wine.” He goes back and starts to whisk the newly added wet ingredients.

“Ok hold on.” Ruby says quickly trying to diffuse the situation as she notices the woman’s face fall drastically, “This was my idea. I couldn’t sleep and needed to feel some control over something. I bumped into Whitley and he was kind enough to show me to the kitchen so I could bake. I challenged him to bake with me.”

Willow looks at her daughter’s team leader, almost seeing her in a new light, recalling the defiance was that not currently expressed on her face…instead was a plea for understanding, “Control?”

“I am trying to take back control over my life and this is one way I know how.” Ruby admits as Whitley slows the whisking and watches the conversation between the reaper and his mother.

Willow sighs and drops her arms, “I understand. That need. It’s been so long…” Ruby watches the woman as she turns to leave, “I’ll just…leave you to it I guess.”

“Mother?” Willow looks at her son. He wasn’t looking directly at her, but he had placed the bowl down and held out a rubber spatula, “Do you want to learn another way to control something?”

She smiles sadly and looks at Ruby, who nods, “I miss baking with my mother, we used to enjoy it together.”

“I’m afraid I won’t be very good. I do not bake or cook either.” She says but takes the spatula from her son anyway.

Ruby smiles brightly, “It’s ok, I’m teaching Whitley and I taught Weiss…sort of…”

“I’m sorry dear, but you taught Weiss…our Weiss?” Willow asks in disbelief.

“That’s what I said.” Whitley mutters as he refocuses on his task, “Ms. Rose please tell mother how you and Weiss met.”

“It’s Ruby Whitley; and well that meeting was…explosive.” Ruby said hesitantly as she started with getting the dry ingredients together again.

Willow nods slowly as she watched Ruby closely, “I know Weiss has a strong personality-”

“No mother, Ms-Ruby means it was a literal explosion.” Whitley says smirking recalling his earlier comment about dusting waving and ‘who would do something so dangerous and stupid?’

Ruby flushed red as she tried to show Willow how to measure the ingredients and Whitley recalling the story Ruby had shared. In fact she turned as red as her namesake with Willow’s comment of, “How could my daughter be so rude and reckless with dust?!”

“Speaking of reckless…” Whitley trailed off, “How did you two meet and become partners again?”

 _Oh for the love of the brothers_ , Ruby internally groans.

**_-4am-_ **

Weiss jolted herself awake with the feeling that something was wrong. Sitting up, she sees Penny is still ‘sleeping’, Nora is out as well, and Blake was in an uneasy sleep as well. She turns to find Ruby’s bed empty. Where could she be? Looking in the corner of her room, she sees their weapons in the corner, Crescent Rose among them. Frowning she gets up slowly and exits the room.

She knows that Ruby is at her breaking point. It was only it was a matter of when, and right now she had a sneaking suspicion that Ruby somehow found her way to the kitchen. She recalls multiple times at Beacon when Ruby would bake a huge amount of pastries when she was stressed that it could feed the entire school. She smiles sadly about the first time she saw a stressed Ruby in the kitchen at two in the morning, “ _Ruby it’s four in the morning; what are you doing up_?”

It was their first finals season just before the holidays, and it seemed like everyone was on edge. No one more so than the younger reaper, “ _Making chocolate pudding_.”

“ _Why in the name of Remnant are you making chocolate pudding at four in the morning?_ ”

She can see the sad and uneasy smile that had graced the young girl’s lips, “ _Because I lost control of my life_.”

So she was sure Ruby was in the kitchen, question was: how did she find her way? It was not like they had time for a tour even with the infiltration during the charity party. As she makes her way downstairs then down the hall, she also remembers trying to bake her friend cookies. Oh that had been a disaster…for eating…not for being used as weapons. From there on, Ruby had tried to teach her to cook and to bake, which she had made great improvements if she were to say so herself…even if Ruby, Yang, Blake or team JNPR didn’t want her alone in the kitchen unsupervised.

Approaching the door, she heard Ruby’s laugh and two others she didn’t quite recognize immediately. Until she heard a voice, “Oh my goodness Weiss did that?” _Mother_? Weiss questioned silently to herself.

“Yup. It was so cool!” Ruby exclaimed.

“I have a hard time believing that. She leapt out the window?” Whitley…that was Whitley.

“Well believe it! Weiss is an awesome teammate and…” Ruby’s voice trailed off, “my best friend.”

Weiss took this moment to enter the kitchen, “Ruby what-?” She looks around and notices the disaster zone. Batter is all over the place, in fact was there any left in the bowl? And there were burnt cookie piles in the overflowing trash, “What the hell? It’s four in the morning! Just what is going on in here?”

“Hiya Weiss!” Ruby said cheerfully, “Want to join our baking class?”

“Ruby says it’s to help control our lives.” Willow states and then she notices the state of the kitchen, “Although this seems like this is less control.”

“You can say that again. Well as much fun and entertaining ‘Weiss at Beacon’ stories this was, I’m going to bed. Ruby…Mother…” He walks passed his sister and shakes his head, “Really sister? Waving volatile dust around so carelessly?”

Weiss watches him go stunned as she saw that subtle smirk on his face and heard him chuckle lightly, “I’m sorry,” Weiss said shaking her head, arms crossed now looking at the matriarch and her team leader, “what were you doing?”

“Baking.” Ruby said then looking around she says, “Trying to bake. You know I just wanted to have some control of my life.”

Weiss smiles sadly, “How did that turn out?”

“Messy. Like everything else.” The timer goes off and Ruby turns to pull out the tray, this time the cookies on the tray looking descent, “At least these came out good looking. Nicely done Ms. Schnee.”

“Please call me Willow.” The woman said kindly as she noticed the proud smile on her daughter and then she felt guilty, knowing that Weiss never smiled this brightly at home, “And I am sorry this wasn’t as relaxing as you had hoped.”

Ruby grasped the older woman’s hand, “No, it’s ok really. Thank you.”

“For what?” She asks surprised.

Ruby smiles and picks a cookie up and blows on it to cool it down some and takes a bite. She hums in delight, “For these cookies! Congratulations. You passed!”

Weiss covers her small laughter at her mother’s surprise expression, and then sobers as she watches her mother smiles. A smile that she hadn’t seen in many years, “Thank you Ms. Rose…Ruby. For everything.”

Weiss takes her mother’s hand and squeezes it gently, “We’ll clean up here.”

“My daughter.” Willow says softly, but squeezing her hand back and slowly walking away.

Ruby watches and looks to her partner, “You can spit the cookie out now.” Weiss says once her mother is through the door.

“What are you talking about? It’s fine.”

“You face is turning green.”

Ruby swallowed it and then shivered in revulsion. Weiss laughed lightly and tossed the batch out, “How many did you go through?”

“Four…five…I lost count. Honestly I think we got distracted from the stories I was telling.” Ruby said chuckling.

Weiss sighs, “Let’s start over…one more time.” She looks around, “After we clean up. Honestly it’s cleaner outside than it is in here.”

“You were a faster learner than your brother and mother.”

“Of course. I am the best partner you would ever have.” Weiss said proudly, “That includes baking sugary confections. Now then about those stories…” Ruby groans in response as they begin to clean up and make one final batch of cookies.


End file.
